It’s standard practice for banks in France to charge fees, known as frais de tenue de compte, to keep you account open, but the fees can vary and those who are not resident in France can face higher charges.

Many second-home owners open a French bank account in order to pay bills and set up direct debits for their property – but be careful to check out the fee structure for non-residents first. 

The fees are generally charged monthly and vary according to a number of criteria: how often you use it, your age and the type of account. 

Another key determinant of how much money you are charged is your residency status – some banks charge more for accounts for non-residents, while France’s largest banking group has recently announced that it is doubling its fees for non-residents. 

Traditional banks 

High-street banks in France tend to charge higher frais de tenue de compte to non-residents. We have broken down the costs at some of the bigger banks in France to help you decide where to put your money. 

• BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas is the largest banking group in France and in the Eurozone more widely. 

Currently, all non-residents with current accounts at the bank are required to pay frais de tenue de compte of €5 per month, per account. 

From June 2nd though, fees will increase for non-residents from outside the EU.

People whose official residence lies in a country that is a signatory to Automatic Exchange of Information mechanism (including the UK and the US) will have to pay €10 per month, per account.

People whose official residence isn’t in an EU country or an AEOI country will have to pay €15 per month, per account.

This makes BNP Paribas as one of the most expensive options if you want to open a bank account as a non-resident. The bank says it is increasing fees to “be able to continue providing all of our non-resident clients the same level of service and accompaniment despite a more and more demanding international environment”. 

The banks’ account advisers speak more than 30 different languages and offer some options to non-resident clients, such as lending insurance and health coverage, that other banks do not. Clients can also benefit from video calls with their account adviser. 

• HSBC

HSBC is the second biggest bank in Europe, behind BNP Paribas. It employs about 10,000 people in France and is also a popular choice for foreigners who want to open bank accounts in the country. 

Their frais de tenue de compte are €7 per quarter – about €2.30 per month – and are the same for residents and non-residents alike. These fees have remained the same since January 2020. 

“An increase is not on the agenda,” said Sophie Ricord, a spokesperson for the group. 

• Crédit Agricole 

Crédit Agricole gets its name from its historical ties to the French farming sector. 

It is comprised of 39 different regional branches, each of which has its own policy regarding frais de tenue de compte. Some apply extra charges for non-residents, while others do not. 

It is worth enquiring with your local branch to see if you could be given the same fee as any other resident. 

• Crédit du Nord

Crédit du Nord is a network of French banks spread around the country – not just the north, although it was founded in Lille. 

Non-residents using this bank are charged €16.50 per quarter – or about €5.50 per month – to keep their account open. These fees are unchanged from the last year – although the bank declined to comment on whether there would be more increases on the way. 

• Société Générale 

Société Générale charges non-resident clients a flat fee of €15 per quarter in frais de tenue de compte.

Bernard Gaudin, a press officer at the bank, explained why non-resident fees were higher than those for residents. 

“Non-resident clients require a particular service (specific knowledge on this type of client),” he wrote in an email.

“Furthermore, the advisers speak multiple languages in certain cases.” 

He said that there were no plans to increase fees in the future. 

Changing bank 

Shortly after his election in 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron introduced rules that make it easier to switch from one bank to another. 

If you have an existing current account in France, you can visit a new bank and ask for them to initiate a procedure called la mobilité bancaire. 

The new bank will liaise with your old one to close down the old account and transfer all money into your new one. From the moment you request your new bank to do this and sign the relevant forms, the two banks have 22 working days to carry out the procedure. 

This service is free. 

Are online banks a reasonable solution?

Many foreign residents in France use online banks such as Revolut or N26 – the former can be opened in your home country but used in France while the latter is built to be opened in France (including by non-residents). 

The benefits of using online banks is that in most cases, there are no frais de tenue de compte even for non-residents. 

The disadvantage is that these banks often have terrible customer service, with communication only possible via chatbot in some instances. On top of this, these banks are seen as less secure that traditional ones and users can be vulnerable to scams.

Some online banks also don’t deal with cheques, which are still issued by certain French public administration bodies.  

“Online banks can work fine but should only be a secondary solution,” said Christophe Gilbert, communications director with the Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne group, which is not specialised at dealing with non-resident clients.